Tablet Buying Guide: 7 Essential Tips

There’s never been more variety in the tablet world. You’ll find everything from a simple $99, 6-inch slate to powerful 12-inch tablets that can run four apps on the screen at once. Want a tablet that can double as a laptop? There are plenty of 2-in-1 devices available.

There are also plenty of choices for operating systems, with Android, iOS and Windows 8.1 all vying for your attention. So, where do you start, and how do you pick the right tablet for your needs? We have all the info you need.

Gaming: Apple’s iPad should be at the top of your shopping list. The App Store offers the richest array of high-quality games. However, the game selection in the Google Play store is improving, and both the Snapdragon 805 and Tegra K1 CPU offer powerful graphics for Android tablets. Die-hard gamers will want to check out the Nvidia Shield Tablet. This powerful slate lets you play Android games, stream PC titles and is available with an optional controller to give you a consolelike feel.

Kids and Families: The first priority for a family sharing a tablet is protecting Junior from being exposed to inappropriate content, so you’ll want sophisticated parental controls, like those found on Amazon Fire tablets. When you pick up the Amazon Fire HD 6 or 7 Kids Editions, you also get a two-year, worry-free guarantee and a full year of FreeTime Unlimited content specially curated for kids. You may also want to consider kid-focused tablets from Fuhu. Apple’s iPad offers some basic protections, along with family sharing for app and iTunes purchases. Some Android devices offer the ability to set up profiles.

Media Consumption: For movie and TV buffs, as well as readers, the Fire HDX 8.9 is an excellent choice. An Amazon Prime membership for $99 per year gets you unlimited streaming of Amazon Prime Instant Video and Prime Music content, as well as access to the Amazon e-book lending library. Of course, you can also access that content on an iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3. Plus, through iTunes, you get access to a huge library of content. On the Windows front, you’ll enjoy Xbox integration with your tablet.

What Size Would You Prefer?

If you’re looking for a lightweight device that fits in a purse or bag and allows you to read and watch video on the go, you’ll want to consider a 7-inch tablet such as the Dell Venue 7. Weighing less than a pound, 7-inch tablets are easy to hold with just one hand, but they don’t provide the most immersive experience.

Stepping up to an 8-inch tablet like the iPad mini provides more real estate for apps, games and movies and is still quite portable. However, these slates aren’t quite as easy to hold with one hand.

A 10-inch or larger tablet provides a bigger canvas for surfing the Web and editing documents, making them the best choice for productivity. With a typical weight of 1 to 1.6 pounds, larger slates aren’t as portable as their 7-inch siblings, but they easily fit into a bag or sleeve.

Which OS Is Right for You?

Apple’s iPad and iOS have become synonymous with tablets, but Android accounts for nearly 68 percent of slates sold in 2014. Meanwhile, Windows 8 tablets are finally gaining steam, especially laptops that double as slates. Here’s a quick platform breakdown.

iOS 8

Apple’s mobile operating system powers several tablets: the iPad mini, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air and iPad Air 2. And there’s a whole universe of accessories available for each device. But it’s the supersimple interface and plethora of apps that attract most fans to Apple’s platform.

With iOS 8, Apple has infused its operating system with a variety of improvements and additional features, such as the integration of HealthKit for unified medical data, family sharing of content and a better camera app. Most compelling is the Continuity feature, which syncs iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite devices. You can answer a phone call from your iPhone on your iPad, or start typing an email on your laptop and continue on your iPad.

Notifications are easier to access and respond to, as you can now reply to text messages and Facebook from the home screen. The Touch ID sensor on the Air 2 and mini 3 can now be used with Apple Pay when you’re shopping online. Plus, if you prefer a swiping movement for typing, you can use third-party keyboards on iOS now.

With a mind-boggling 675,000 apps designed explicitly for the iPad (more than 1.3 million in total), Apple clearly has the best tablet app selection.

Despite Apple’s clean and attractive OS, Android is more customizable — both by tablet makers and consumers. Android offers plenty of widget options, as well as launcher apps that can change the look and feel of your device.

The world of Android tablets can definitely be confusing. On one end of the spectrum, you have slates that offer a pure version of Google’s OS, such as the Google Nexus 9. Devices like this offer easy access to Android’s latest features and new design, 5.0 Lollipop. Pure Android devices will benefit from the new operating system’s improved performance and battery-life claims.

Similar to iOS 8, Lollipop improves cross-device interaction. It unifies your smartphone, tablet and smartwatch by syncing songs, photos, apps and recent searches. Android 5.0 also offers more actionable notifications, allowing you to open an app from the lock-screen alert.

Other companies “fork” Google’s operating system with their own overlays, such as Amazon’s Fire HDX 8.9. There are benefits to the Fire OS, such as advanced parental controls and unique features, like the Mayday button for live tech support. However, the platform lacks Google apps and Google Play store access, relying instead on Amazon’s store.

In between are tablets like those in the Samsung Galaxy Note line, which provide full access to the Google Play store but add value with features like note-taking capability and Multi Window multitasking.

Google Play is similar to iTunes in that it offers music, movies, TV shows, books and magazines. However, while there are more than 1 million apps in Google Play, many haven’t yet been optimized for tablets.

Windows 8.1

Despite having invented tablet PCs, Microsoft lost the first round of the modern tablet wars to Apple. But with the release of Windows 8.1, Microsoft hopes to win over shoppers. And because Microsoft has worked with multiple partners, the world of Windows 8.1 tablet designs is much more diverse than the competition. You’ll find all kinds of tablet-laptop hybrids, as well as familiar slate designs.

Microsoft’s Live Tile interface is dynamic and easy to customize. You’ll find a Start button on the desktop, but it merely takes you to the screen with all of your apps. Windows 8.1 offers enhanced search capabilities compared with Windows 8, as well as improved multitasking via the Snap feature.

The app store for Windows 8.1 currently has about 300,000 options. However, it doesn’t yet have everything we’d like to see, including HBO Go, several popular games and all of Google’s Apps (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Plus, etc.).

What Kind of Apps and Content Do You Want?

Because content is king, the baked-in media and apps store should influence your purchasing decision. If you are partial to iTunes, you’ll want an iPad Air or iPad mini so you can easily purchase and enjoy music and videos from Apple’s store on your tablet. You can use that same iTunes account to purchase apps, books and magazines. You also can download apps to access your Amazon books and Amazon’s video service.

On the Android front, you have several options. There’s Google Play, with its growing selection of music, movies, TV shows and magazines. This is the most common app store, found across most Android-powered devices.

Amazon’s Fire line is compelling because of its access to Amazon video on demand, as well as Kindle books, magazines, apps and music. And if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you’ll also enjoy free access to the company’s e-book lending library, and Prime video and music services.

You can access your books from Amazon or Barnes & Noble on Windows 8.1 through Nook and Kindle apps, just as you can on the iPad. But Microsoft also has media for sale, thanks to Xbox Music and Xbox Video.

What Specs Do You Need?

Processor: On the Apple front, the iPad Air 2 packs some serious firepower with its A8X chip. Meanwhile, the iPad Air, as well as the iPad mini 2 and 3, feature a still-zippy 64-bit A7 chip.

Other options include Nvidia’s Tegra K1 (in the Nexus 9) and Intel’s Bay Trail chips (in Windows 8.1 devices and Android tablets such as the ASUS MeMo Pad 7). Intel’s lower-end Clover Trail CPU exhibited lag on some Android tablets we tested, so think twice about buying a tablet with that processor. Some smaller brands, such as MediaTek, offer fairly strong quad-core performance on cheaper slates.

RAM: You’ll definitely want at least 1GB of RAM in your next Android tablet, but 2GB would be better. For a Windows 8.1 slate, 2GB should be your minimum. Some tablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, come with 3GB. The more RAM a tablet has, the more responsive it will be in performing the tasks you need it to. When you don’t have enough, you’ll find loading and closing apps, as well as switching apps, to be sluggish.

Internal Storage/Expandability: The internal storage of some Android or Windows tablets can be expanded with a microSD card. That can be particularly helpful if you plan to download a large amount of data. But for internal storage, you should look for a minimum of 16GB. We would recommend 32GB or higher, if you can swing it, for storing more apps and games.

How Important Is Battery Life to You?

If you will be using your next tablet on long plane trips or you’re constantly running from one meeting or activity to another, the endurance of your tablet will definitely matter. On our test, which involves continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi, the average battery life for a tablet is about 8 hours and 40 minutes. However, the LG G Pad 10.1 lasted nearly 14 hours on a charge, and the iPad mini 2 lasted 11 hours. You should never settle for less than 7 hours.

How Much Do You Want to Spend?

The price range for tablets can vary wildly. From $99 for the Fire HD 6 to $1,299 for the Microsoft Surface Pro 3, there are gems for any budget. Android tablets tend to be the cheapest, and Microsoft tablets tend to be slightly more expensive.

Less than $100: There are some exceptions, but most of what you’ll find for less than $100 is not worth a second look — and if it’s less than $50, it’s likely too good to be true. All tablets in this range will come with 7-inch or smaller screens. But the Amazon Fire HD 6 earned 4 stars and our Editors’ Choice award, so it’s best to do your research before plopping down your cash.

$100 to $200: Most tablets in this price range are 7-inch Android devices (with the odd 8- or 10-inch model here and there), and there are some very good options. The $149 ASUS MeMo Pad 7, for example, offers a quad-core CPU, a 720p screen and 16GB of storage. For $199, you can pick up the Dell Venue 8, which features a 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution and includes a microSD card for additional storage.

$200 to $300: For $299, the gamer-friendly Nvidia Shield Tablet is at the top of its game in this price range. It offers a powerful Tegra K1 chip and 2GB of RAM, and can stream PC and Android games that can be manipulated via the included controller. At $249, the original iPad mini is a very good value. You’ll also find the least-expensive Windows 8.1 slates, such as the Toshiba Encore 2.

$300 to $400: This price range is where the premium tablets start to show their faces, offering top-end specs without breaking the bank completely. For instance, the Amazon Fire HDX 8.9, with its 2560 x 1600p display and Dolby Atmos audio, can be had for just $379. Or, for $399, you can grab the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, with its awesome Super AMOLED screen and expandable storage.

More Than $400: At the top end of the price spectrum are tablets that are great for productivity and creativity. Options include the powerful yet light Apple iPad Air 2, as well as Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3. These are the types of slates that could replace your laptop.

A lover of lists and deadlines, Anna Attkisson covers apps, social networking, tablets, chromebooks and accessories. She loves each of her devices equally, including the phablet, three tablets, three laptops and desktop. She joined the Laptop Mag staff in 2007, after working at Time Inc. Content Solutions where she created custom publications for companies from American Express to National Parks Foundation.

I want to buy my daughter a tablet, but it would have to be one of the cheaper ones and I just don’t know if any of those would be worth even the reduced cost. Do you have a recommendation for one hopefully mostly used for reading and some games. Although she has taken to silly videos on youtube. I have seen a few on this week’s Big Lots and wonder if any are worth it.

I would like to chose Apple iPad Mini than iPad (10″). You can hold the iPad Mini in just one hand. If you will compare the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7″ to Apple iPad Mini 7.9″, then you must go with the iPad Mini.

“You won’t find a Windows 8 or RT device for less than $499. For now, these are premium devices.”

True for Windows 8 because its a full OS, but RT devices are usually cheaper than $499. Windows RT devices try to compete with iOS and Android tablets so they have to priced to do so. The Surface RT costs $349.

I am looking for a tablet which have the facility of using the broadband sim card or more else can be called as mobile broadband. Im looking for a low budget tablet. Whould u advise me the best solutions for it.

Great article. Im still not sure what I should buy to meet my needs ( professional and student, not a gamer). Lots of note taking, essays, math, meetings, plus email, music, surfing, reports, spreadsheets ( some but could do on laptop). Any clear direct purchase suggestions? No Apple products. Oh and I need the ability to print from tablet and Ive heard googles tablet cant do this. Im leaning towards samsung but dont know enough to know what I don’t know. Any guidance would be appreciated. Tab or Note or? Id prefer not to spend more than $500 or $600.

I’m thinking about buying a tablet so that I can work wherever I happen to be- but I have a disability and find typing difficult on the touchscreen because I can only type with my left hand (I’m not sure they make a Dragon Naturally Speaking program for tablets). I’m also an aspiring writer who loves Google Drive and uses it for everything. What tablet would you suggest for me?

I want to buy a Tab of Rs 11000/- (Max.) which have the facility of using the broadband sim card or more else can be called as mobile broadband and Windows , take good video.Give your suggestion. Thanks

Hmm it looks like your site ate my first comment (it was extremely long)
so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
I as well am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to the whole thing.
Do you have any recommendations for inexperienced blog writers?
I’d genuinely appreciate it.

We are looking to buy a video recording device for our skating club to record and play back jumps, spins, etc. All we need is the videoing, as large of screen as possible and a durable case. We don’t need apps or an operating system really. Is a tablet the best option? Other video cameras have such a small screen to watch on the spot!

I was told to buy only a tablet or ipad with Sim Card…and SD slot….there are none in the cheaper range and not sure if there are any ipads at all made from Apple that have this…..i wanted to use outside of WIFI when away from home….Could you please let me know. Thank you .

Tab le t M a x x — offers some Great Holiday Deals on new Tablets with a half of dozen new models released this month, all with the latest specs and premium features — plus includes a $20 – 16GB MicroSD memory card free with all tablets.

One model that stands out is the new mid-size 9″ tablet, the Ramos i9s ($239) – powered by one of Intel’s first 64-bit mobile processors and offers a premium build quality that compares to the Nexus 9 at nearly half the price… there’s also the new Pipo P8 ($229) model which also matches most features of the Nexus 9, but with a more compact, 8-inch screen size.

For Windows tablets, there’s the new X90 HD – Windows 8.1 model ($269) – the only Mid-size, 8.9″ Windows tablet available with an AMOLED 2560X1600 display – the same screen found in several premium Samsung devices; plus the X90 HD comes bundled with a case and Bluetooth keyboard.

Other Holiday deals through Tablet Maxx include the 7-inch Venus Android tablet ($69) with a quad core processor and HD screen; plus an Ultra-size 12-inch model, the Ramos i12 ($259) – which also offers an optional case with keyboard to make a great tablet – laptop combination.

Another deal-buster is a premium iPad case with Bluetooth keyboard for only $20 (regularly $59)

I am finding out there is a lot of misrepresentation of App space on tablets. Or should I say no representation! I like your article very much. But many tablet prosective buyers should know how much space is alloted for Apps! I bought a 8gb tablet and was unaware that the Apps space was only 660mb. yup MB!. More than half of that was being used by Google apps I cannot get rid of. I’m Got Burnt!

For those of us who live ordinary lives, a translation into well written, comprehensible English would be helpful. Main clauses , subordinate clauses, decent syntax, conjunctions, prepositions and an absence of jargon( unless with an interpretation). Ta!

Just tried the recent Acer Aspire Switch tablet/laptop. Concept is great, but the technology fails miserably. Malfunctioned right out of the box- would not charge and worked for about 3 hours plugged in, then died. My advice? Look to better quality products.

Hi, Anna! Great article. I hope it’s not imposing on you to ask for some specific advice. Both my desktop and laptop are nearing the end of their lives, and I plan to get a desktop-replacement laptop to replace both of them. While I’m visually-impaired, but a long ways from blind, I’d like to get a large Android tabled (10+”) with Windows OS so it will work with my Win PC and AT&T home and cell phone service. But, I have limited use planned: if it does nothing but let me load various versions of the Bible in large print, do basic internet browsing (hopefully with Firefox), and make routine phone calls, I’ll be happy. No games, maybe some music (with external speakers). But, I have trouble dealing with dragging icons to make things happen…would rather just push them. It’s hard for me to compare them online. Might you have any suggestions or directions I could go? Thanks for your great article.

Stopped reading when I saw he recommend iPad for gaming… dude… I can run Oblivion, LoL, CoD MW, Civ 5, HoMM3,4,5, and many older desktop games on Venue 8 which is a budget windows tablet… Gaming is not only about the games in the store… Windows lets you play actual desktop games…